52& RCA HDTV review: Repair is a nonsense! 168

We too bought this RCA 52" tv in December of 2004. In January of 2005 the tv went out. After talking with RCA customer service they agreed to cover the tv under warranty, because it was only out of warranty by a month (our tv only had a 1 yr warranty). The repair man came and a bulb (or something) had exploded and dripped on the mother board and shorted it out. He said if I were to have to pay, it would have been in excess of $500 to get it fixed. ONE YEAR later the tv went out AGAIN. Knowing there's nothing RCA is going to do we went ahead and purchased a new tv. When the company we bought the new tv from came to deliver, he told us that there's a class action suit on those tv's and I need to check into it.

I too have a 52' HDTV from RCA that just went out. There were sparks in the back and something caught on fire. We called RCA and they were not very helpful and emphatically advised us that we were out of warranty (basically they might as well have said tough luck). How do I find out about this class action suit? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I have only had this TV for a little over 2 years.

Our warranty just expired on our 52" RCA HDTV and now, when I try to turn the tv on, the light comes on, then flashes, and nothing happens. I read another complaint about a burned out bulb dripping on the mother board and the cost to repair it! Who has an extra $500 laying around to repair something that was supposed to be of good quality? If there truly is a class action suit, count me in and let me know! This just isn't right...

Same here. Won't turn on. Called repair shop, they said it would cost 600-800. We got this t.v. in January of 2005. What a scam.

paying $1, 600 for a tv and it only lasted about 3yrs is no good.. if there is a class ation count me in also ... my rca hdtv power lite turns on and off 3 times then stays off. no screen comes on... if i do this over and over about 15 times tv will come on and work till the next time i turn it on...has'nt rca been making projection tv' s a long time to fix these problems ? and i do not even dare call a repair service knowing the price to fix it is around $500 bucks ...i think there is a lot of toxic waste due to throwing away tv' s, for a part that probably costs very little to fix and keep ... i sum what fix all my things, so now i guess i have to learn how to be a tv repiar man also...

Same problem here. Watching show and it goes off. turn button on, power lights up for a few seconds and shuts off. bought 11/05. Also gave me authorized service personel and will be 120.00 just to look at it. never will buy rca again.

This same thing has been happening on my RCA D52W20, the power light blinks 3 times and than nothing. 6e8b5this tv is only 2 years old! I just Called Circuit city where I bought it and they told me it would be $150 to come out and look at near $500 for the part and another $100 to come out and install it. WTF. The old tv in my parents house is still working and they have had it since the 80's.

My RCA D52W14 HDTV 52" lasted 3 years, it is doing the same thing. Light comes on and off 3 times, then nothing. I have an older tv that has worked for over 10 years. I am going to purchase a different brand HDTV and never buy RCA again.

I Purchase my RCA D52W14 HDTV 52" lasted 2 years to the date 8/3/08, I heard popping in TV and two days later I now have three lines of rainbow colors at the top of the screen, and all of the images are shown in threes consisting of the three colors at the top, red blue and yellow. Something should be done about this. It is so unfair for us to pay this kind of money and have no repercussion. How do I find out about this class action suit? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I also want to know about the class action lawsuit. I've had mine for 2 1/2 years. Yesterday, the screen started bowing in and trying to turn it off. Before I could get it to a pawn shop and sell it, the thing crapped out. Same thing happened to my roommate's 28". My tv only cost $550 anyway, I'm still pissed about this though. Screw RCA.

I too, have a 52" RCA HDTV purchased in July 2004.It's a model # D52W15. The same thing happened to us just recently.Whenever we turn on the power button, it comes on appproximately 3 times, then stops. The TV never comes on, just tries to. I'm furious at this. After paying $1600 for what we thought was a "top of the line TV " that we believed would last us for many years. Now we have a huge big screen Tv thats JUNK! Someone should be held accountable for this.

Thank you for your comments. I was about to but a guy's T.V that is three years old, but I will just keep my money. Thanks again!

OMG. Me, too! We bought this crappy TV 3 years ago and started experiencing problems after 1 year (1 month after the warranty expired!). My husband adjusted with the bulb controls inside the TV and was able to make it work for another 2 years. Now here we are today and we think the blue bulb finally blew. Who knows what else is wrong with it. We chose RCA b/c they'd been around so long, but after this $1000 fiasco, we will NEVER buy RCA again. Mark my words.

--Maria

same problem with my RCA 52" it started going off by itself until finally a circuit board burned out
it was good for three years it is a "shame " on how RCA doeas not stand behind its product
count me in if there is a class action suit. and just for the hell of it I will never buy any RCA products again...

Wow. i have had my rca for almost 4 years. paid over 2000.00 for it. now all of the sudden, the power wont come it. and yes it blinks on and off in the same 3 pattern. it takes me hours to get the thing to come on, but once it is on, i have no problems out of it till i turn it off for the night and try to get it to come back on the next day. if you guys find out what the problem is, please let me know. i dont have the money to fix the thing right now with our vacation coming up.

Well this just seems to be an ever lasting problem with RCA mine too was bout in 2005 though and just a few months ago went out. I had an instructor at the college I work at look it over and he can not figure it out. He can not go any further because he can not find a full schematic to keep looking. I am furious because I do not have the money to fix the darn thing and I also do not have the money to buy a new one!

we also bought an rca 52 inch model d52w20 october 2004 and this year 2008 around july the green light comes on and blinks off and on 3 times like everyone else had said. i tried looking for solutions on line and they talk about the flyback 259296 or the cp 150 capictor but who knows where to get it and how to fix it. Might as well buy another TV but not an RCA...

i to have a problem with my 52 inch rca i have the three differant colors blue red yellow and tv bows in from the middle i to would like any info on this class action suit thanks

I also have the same problem. Mine went out about 1 year after i got it and it was fixed for free. Now I guess its on me. Let me know about this suit if you don't mind, I think that 1600 is way to much to pay for crap.

i got my RCAHDTV 2 years ago, when i press power the green light turns on then off 3 times, and thats it! when it first did this every once in awhile it would finally turn on after trying dozens of times, but then 1 day the power went out and since then it wont power up at all! i think RCA owes it's customers to fix this problem or give us back our money for the tv ! thats just not right to spen 1, 000 dollars for a tv to last only 2-3 years for most of its customers! class action suit needs to be filed! ASAP, BECAUSE THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FORM ALL THE REPLIES I HAVE READ ONLINE ABOUT THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM.

I 2 HAVE 52" RCA HDTV 3 YEARS OLD I PADE 1550 FOR A PICE OF ### . IF THER IS CLASS ACTION SUIT PLEAS LET ME KNOW. IT WILL TACK$800TO 900 TO FIX MY TV BUT RCA DONOT MAKE THE PARTS ENTY MOOR .THAY KNOW THIR WAS PROBLEM65

I also have a RCA hdtv and it had just started doing this green light on green light off stuff three times and then nothing. There is so a problem with this products and it is sad if RCA dont stand by there product. They should lower there prices way down if they are not going to last at least 2 years when most big srceens last 10 to 12 years.This will be the last RCA product I will ever own.

OMG! I READ ALL THE REVIEWS ABOUT THE 52 INCH RCA D52WD20. I HAVE TO SAY I'M NOT SHOCKED. RCA SUCKS. I'LL NEVER BUY ANOTHER RCA PRODUCT! MINE WAS BOUGHT IN 2005 AND NOT EVEN 2 YEARS LATER IT STOPPED WORKING. I GO TO TURN IT ON AND IT SHUTS OFF. I TRY SEVERAL MORE TIMES AND THE LED LIGHT BLINKS 3 X'S AND SHUTS OFF. NOW, I HAVE A SMALL TV SITTING IN FRONT OF THE RCA TV WHERE I ALSO, HAVE A BEAUTIFUL ENTERTAINMENT CENTER SURROUNDING MY PIECE OF CRAP RCA. I'M EMBARRASSED TO BRING FRIENDS HOME. I LAUGH AT MYSELF. WHY DID I EVER BUY A RCA? WHEN THEY CAN'T BACK THEIR PRODUCT UP. I CALL UP AND GET THE RUN AROUND. TIME FOR A LAW SUIT IS FINE BY ME. SOMEONE LET ME KNOW...

I AGREE I HAVE THE SIMULAR PROBLEM WITH MY SET ASWELL POWER LIGHT COMES ON BLINKS THREE TIMES SHUTS DOWN ..AFTER ATTEMPTING THIS SEVARAL THOUSAND TIMES IT COMES BACK ON...IVE READ SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY SAY ITS A BAD BULB OR SOMETHING ...I TOO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS SUIT GO FORWARD...

We bought our rca 52 inch rear projection in 2004. It lasted four years without any trouble. We had the same problem with the power button flashing three times without turning the picture on the set then the light would go out. RCA support center was useless and gave us a number to call that worked with warranties in which we no longer had. Anyways I went on line to fixya.com and found others with the same problem with their rca. One of the solutions was to take the back off the tv and blow a hair dryer on the lower left area for ten minutes on a hot setting for the hair dryer then turn the tv on. We did this and it worked on the first try. Although we have vowed not to switch the tv off ( only by the satelite not the rca remote or button on the tv). Because we are not sure if the problem was dust or the power control needed to be heated up. BUT RCA SUCKS!

Elaine, thank you very, very much! I had just called a tv repair man, waiting for him to return my call, when I came across your blow dryer trick! It worked, I had seen how dusty it was, so i was sure that something was blown because of the thick dust inside the tv, but as soon as I got done blow drying all the dust off, I turned the tv on, and it magically turned on. I'm so hoping the dust was the problem. All I know is that it is working now and i have you to thank for it. So again, thank you very much!

Thanks Elaine! The hair dryer trick worked on ours, too! We didn't even take the back off. We just vacuumed out the dust from the air vents and then used the hair dryer for about 10 minutes on the lower left side (moving it around over the air vents as the plastic was getting pretty hot)... pressed the power switch... and the beast came to life! All I can say is... HALLELUJAH! And it will stay on for the rest of it's 'unnatural' RCA life. And when it finally dies, "HELLO SONY!"

well elaine said the hair blow dryer fixed her issue and a few others said the same thing, but we had already gotten someone to fix our tv and it was the capictor. they had to replace 3 of them and solder the connections for about 200.00 bucks. but dont go to a high name tv place. just your local place. try the hair dryer first. good thinking elaine

i have the same problem with my same model the RCA hdtv D52W15 and its really really pathetic...if anyone really know of any suit going on please fwrd me some info...this is injustice...all i know is im spreding the work about RCA...its terrible
Raping
Customers in the
###!
i hope RCA gets punished for this crap

We have a 5 yr old D52W15 model that won't turn on. It goes through the same process as most others with the 3 cycles. We're VERY unhappy with this issue and agree that we will NOT buy another RCA in the future!

I have the same problem... We bought this TV 3-4 years ago. The repair man is on the way to fix the issue. I agree RCA sucks... Will never buy an RCA tv.

I join all of you with the same problem, my rca 52"-hdtv ready tv today got the problem with the red blue and green lines going across the top and the screen is off balance and has the red blue and green convergence problem. The convergence problem been happening for a couple of months now but all I would do is run automatic convergence and it will fix temporarily but it never had the problem with the lines across the top of the screen and off balance like today and I don"t even have the auto convergence option anymore. I'm out of warranty and I would also like to know any info on the class action lawsuit, I don't have any money to get a new one.If anyone has any info that can help please e-mail me.

good news is misery loves company...bad news is we all have the same problem..mine started blinking also..I am in on a class action lawsuit

I have this same tv. Bought it in 2005. It lasted 2 and a half years then one morning we got up to turn it on and it just make a sizzling noise and saw sparks in the back of the tv, then it went off. Also there was a burning smell to it too. Will never buy a RCA product again!

Wow.. This is crazy. I just came home from spending ALL of my money Christmas shopping, went to turn on my TV.. Nothing.. The little green light comes on and blinks three times.. But nothing.. It's done it before, but it only took a couple of times to turn it on, so we had just quit turning off.. Well, one of the kids turned it off.. I am lost. I can't afford to go buy another TV, I was lucky to be able to buy Christmas this year in this economy! I can't afford the repairs either.. Does anyone know the name of the part, so that maybe I can get one at the local repair shop and have my husband install it? ANY help or suggestions would be helpful.. If anyone can tell me more baout the law suit, let me know.. You can email me at melissared26@aol.com

Well add me to the list. It blinks 3 times and nothing. The sad thing is is that I bought this one in 2005 and another RCA LCD in 2006. The LCD's sound and front inputs went out 4 months after purchase. It was a year later after the extended warranty kicked in that I finally got help in the repair. Now, this one. I think im done with RCA.

I have same problem, push power button it blicks then nothing, would like to know about any law suits, and about parts I could get to fix our selfs, we had it fixed 1 year ago now the same thing has happen again. I NEED HELP!CAN EMAIL ME AT RUTHANNULMER@WINDSTREAM.NET

sORRY MY EMAIL IS, ruthannulmer@windstream.net. all little letters. But I could use some help I called RCA custumer sevice they said knowone else had repoted a problem with the TV's. Anyone please let me know of any laws suits. Thanks

The hair drier trick worked for me. Thanks so much .

Thank you everybody for your posts, especially Elaine. The hair dryer did the trick! I didn't have to take the back off but I did vacuum the dust first.
I even turned it off and on again and it came on for the first try!
I was berating myself for buying a used tv but I see that I'm actually lucky that I didn't buy it new and pay what everybody else paid. I've learned my lesson. Next time I'll check online postings prior to buying and I'll not buy RCA again.